Arsenal Agree Deal to Sign £12m French International Hugo Lloris: French Source States Lyon Will Announce Deal When Replacement Is Found

Arsenal are close to completing a deal for Lyon goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, according to reports in France.

talksport revealed earlier this week that the Gunners were on the verge of launching a £12m bid for the France captain, who has been told he can leave Lyon by club chairman Jean-Michel Aulas.

French newspaper L’Equipe claims that the two clubs have reached an agreement, with Lyon waiting to identify a replacement for the 25-year-old before making the deal official.

Ludivine Sagna, the wife of Arsenal defender Bacary Sagna, hinted that a deal may be on the cards after writing a revealing message on her Twitter page.
“Really hope my friend Marine Lloris will come to #arsenal?,” wrote Ludivine Sagna.

So it this deal as certain as this source makes out? Well perhaps, but one wonders what the urgency is in bringing in another custodian given that Arsenal’s number one keeper, Wojciech Szczesny, is considered one of the best of his generation. Hugo Lloris is the current French national team captain, though this perhaps says more about those who have been overlooked than the harmonious nature of the Lyon goalie.

It is however true that back-up keeper options Lukasz Fabianski and Vito Mannone have not impressed when called upon and Manuel Almunia has not been offered a new deal.

Arsene Wenger has already invested £23m in Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud so a deal to spend such a large fee, £12m for a keeper is almost unheard of, is somewhat surprising as clearly the North London club are not known for their excessive spending.

Lloris has been at Lyon four seasons, barely missing a game in that period and the Nice born goalkeeper has also notched up 37 international caps and is the undisputed number one French national team option.

The Lyon keeper would join international team-mates Laurent Koscielny, Bacary Sagna, Abou Diaby, Sebastien Squillaci and the aforementioned Giroud in the Gunners squad.

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